But are they healthy?

Energy drinks are supposed to provide mental and physical stimulation; in other words, they can make you feel more alert. However, you need to be careful when drinking energy drinks because excessive consumption can lead to anxiety, insomnia, and irritability.

The active ingredients in energy drinks vary. The most common ingredients are caffeine and sugar, but they may also include any of the following:

• Ephedrine – a stimulant that is commonly found in weightloss products and decongestants. There are studies raising concern and issues about its effects on the heart.
• Taurine — a natural amino acid needed by the body to help regulate heart beat and muscle contractions. Currently, researchers are trying to discover its impact as an energy drink additive.
• Ginseng — a kind of root thought to have several medicinal benefits. It is said that ginseng relives stress and can increase your level of energy.
• Vitamin B — a group of vitamins that can change sugar to energy.
• Carnitine — an amino acid. Its effects can be mainly on the metabolism of fatty acids in the body.
• Creatine — an organic acid which energizes the muscles for muscle contraction.
• Inositol — a member of the vitamin B complex that helps relay messages within cells in the body.
• Ginkgo biloba – comes from the seeds of the ginkgo biloba tree. There are studies claiming it has memory enhancement capabilities.

Not all of these ingredients are good for you.

How Do Energy Drinks Increase Your Energy?

The reason energy drinks work is because the ingredients cause the pituitary gland to release adrenaline, which makes you heart beat faster, your eyes to dilate, and your liver to release extra sugar to your bloodstream. All this results in the extra surge of energy needed for intense physical or mental activity.

While the short term benefits may seem positive, long term effects from an energy drink can be a real downer. Once the temporary stimulation wears off, a sudden mental sluggishness sets in. Also, since it takes up to 12 hours for caffeine to completely leave your system, your sleep may be affected.

Some energy drinkers have reported getting “the shakes,” as well as experiencing hot flashes, dizziness, and lightheadedness.

Some energy drinks have instructions on how they should be used. Follow these instructions. And limit your consumption to no more than two drinks per day (preferably only one).

It is never a good idea to mix energy drinks with alcohol. You may think you are feeling alert and sober, but this is a false feeling and could lead to excessive drinking and dehydration.

Pregnant women, young children, and people with high blood pressure or heart disease should avoid consuming energy drinks.

While energy drinks may not be considered ‘unhealthy,’ they can adversely affect your health if overdone. As with everything, moderation is the key.

Related posts:

1. Green Tea is a Great Health Drink Green tea is one of the best health drinks around....
2. Why Green Tea is Good For You There is considerable focus in today’s world on improving and/or...
3. Start a Daily Gratitude Journal The theory behind a Gratitude Journal is basic: You write...

Tea is considered a very healthy drink. The Chinese have been using it for its medicinal benefits for over 4,000 years. In some other countries, especially those with cold climates, tea is almost as popular as water.

Basically, tea has four types: the black tea, the oolong tea, the green tea, and the white tea — each of which is said to have benefits that can help the overall well being of a person.

But among all these types, green tea stands out.

Experts say that the reason that green tea is so good for you is because it contains EGCG, which is a very powerful anti-oxidant. It is also processed differently than other teas because the leaves are steamed. This is to ensure that the EGCG will not be oxidized. Other teas use a fermentation process, which causes the EGCG to be converted into complex compounds.

Drinking green tea helps to prevent many diseases and illnesses, such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular diseases, infections, tooth decay, and various impaired immune functions. An added benefit is that it can also help people to lose weight!

People who already have cancer are often advised to drink green tea because of its high EGCG content. Experts believe the EGCG may inhibit the growth of cancer by killing the cancer cells without causing harm to other cells and tissues.

Individuals with high cholesterol may want to consider drinking green tea because it has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol levels while inhibiting “thrombosis” — the abnormal formation of blood clots in the body which are the major causes of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and stroke.

For those who have dental concerns, green tea has been known to help prevent dental decay because it contains properties that kill the bacteria in plaque.

Although green tea has many proven benefits to people who use it as a health drink, experts still warn that it should be used in moderation. Green tea does contain caffeine, which can cause insomnia attacks to people who have low caffeine tolerance.

Overall, however, green tea is a healthy drink that is good for you in many ways.

Related posts:

1. Green Tea is a Great Health Drink Green tea is one of the best health drinks around....
2. Energy Drinks and Your Health Energy drinks are everywhere. You can get them at the...

The benefits of drinking green tea include regulating your blood sugar, preventing certain cancers, fighting plaque, lowering your cholesterol and slowing down the aging process.

But what makes green tea so special is the fact that it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate also known as EGCG.

EGCG  is a powerful anti-oxidant that does two things:

• First, it inhibits the growth of cancer cells, and
• Second, it kills cancer cells without harming any healthy tissue.

It also lowers your cholesterol by inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots which causes someone to have either a heart attack or stroke.

Green tea is even able to fight tooth decay because it inhibits the major bacteria called Streptococcus mutans from forming in between the teeth. Plus, drinking it regularly also helps prevent gum disease.

Do other types of tea have the same benefits as green tea? They do – but what sets green tea apart is how it’s processed. The other products are not steamed, so the EGCG compound is not oxidized.

Green tea does contain caffeine, but it has 50% less than coffee so it’s better for you. Naturally, people who are allergic to caffeine should not drink green tea and if you are pregnant, drink it in moderation.

Proper storage of green tea is important. Once you open the box, be sure to store it away from light and keep in an airtight container. You can also put it in the refrigerator at a temperature between 38 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

Now that you know what a great health drink green tea is, the next time you go to the supermarket, be sure and pick up a box and start drinking it regularly. If you find the taste is bland, add sugar, honey, or even a lemon wedge. Or do as the English do and serve it with a few bisquits.

Related posts:

1. Why Green Tea is Good For You There is considerable focus in today’s world on improving and/or...
2. Energy Drinks and Your Health Energy drinks are everywhere. You can get them at the...
3. Stop Smoking and Enjoy Better Health Here are some very good health reasons why you should...